WHY WE DO IT
New Leaf works with youth who are not only dealing with all the regular stresses of being teenagers, but are also confronted with some of life’s biggest challenges: community violence, family violence/abuse/neglect, poverty, addiction, marginalization and various other forms of trauma.
Yoga can provide an opportunity for youth to tap into the resources of strength and resilience they have within themselves; yoga can provide an opportunity to address traumas that have been experienced and empower youth to make choices around their bodies and their well-being, and yoga can provide a chance to see that we all have the ability to experience peace within ourselves, even if that begins with just one moment.
Transferable skills developed in New Leaf’s programs include increased capacity to:
- Notice, identify and be present with feelings and experiences
- Manage challenging emotions and circumstances in positive ways
- Tap into calm and self-soothe
- Respond skillfully rather than automatically react
- Create healthy, positive relationships with our bodies and minds
Youth in our programs report that yoga helps to:
- decrease stress and anxiety
- shift experiences of anger
- improve sleep
- foster “peace of mind”
- increase ability to manage challenges
- build concentration
- decrease reactivity
TWITTER